Bear Lake County, Idaho: commercial real estate data.
Bear Lake County, Idaho has a population of 6,650 across 975 square miles, up 6.4 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $295.7 m in 2024, 168 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 17 7(a) approvals worth $6.7 m.
120 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Bear Lake County
How many people live in Bear Lake County
- Population6,650
- Households2,278
- Average household size2.92
- Median household income$75,260
- Median age40.5
- Median gross rent$632 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$275,000
- Home value to household income3.7 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income10.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher21.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over4,337
- Population under 181,820
- Share under 1827.4 percent
- Population 65 and over1,410
- Share 65 and over21.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 643,420
- Civilian labor force2,898
- Unemployment rate2.6 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over60.0 percent
- Rank by population among Idaho counties36th of 44
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2765th
Bear Lake County is the 36th largest of 44 Idaho counties by population. A median home costs 3.7 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 27.4 percent against 21.2 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Bear Lake County
Is Bear Lake County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base6.42 percent
- Census 2020 base population6,370
- Births, 202477
- Deaths, 202453
- Natural change, 202424
- Net domestic migration, 2024-39
- Net international migration, 202410
- Total net migration, 2024-29
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024309
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents358th
The county has grown 6.42 percent since the 2020 census base. Births exceeded deaths in 2024 but more people left than arrived, so the population is being sustained internally rather than attracting.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Bear Lake County
Where people moving to Bear Lake County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving155
- People arriving, from those returns341
- Adjusted gross income arriving$10.3 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$66,252
- Largest single originBear Lake County Non-migrants (2,217 households)
- Largest single destination (2,217 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bear Lake County Non-migrants | 2,217 | 5,345 | $150.3 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 109 | 229 | $7.1 m |
| Other flows - West | 109 | 229 | $7.1 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 46 | 112 | $3.2 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Bear Lake County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Bear Lake County
What the Bear Lake County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$295.7 m
- County GDP, 2023$280.9 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20245.3 percent
- GDP change over five years49.7 percent
- Rank by GDP among Idaho counties37th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2706th
- GDP per resident$44,468
Output grew 5.3 percent in the latest year and 49.7 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Bear Lake County
Who employs people in Bear Lake County
- Covered employment, annual average1,998
- Establishments reporting282
- Average annual pay$40,230
- Average weekly wage$774
- Sector 56, employment300
- Sector 56, average annual pay$45,167
- Sector 44-45, employment286
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$24,760
- Sector 23, employment90
- Sector 23, average annual pay$40,088
- Sector 31-33, employment67
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$53,120
- Sector 42, employment60
- Sector 54, employment32
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 56 | 300 | 18 | $45,167 |
| Sector 44-45 | 286 | 35 | $24,760 |
| Sector 23 | 90 | 36 | $40,088 |
| Sector 31-33 | 67 | 8 | $53,120 |
| Sector 42 | 60 | 17 | $47,823 |
| Sector 54 | 32 | 17 | $64,651 |
| Sector 81 | 32 | 11 | $32,977 |
| Sector 51 | 3 | 5 | $103,005 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 300 jobs, 15.0 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Bear Lake County
What businesses operate in Bear Lake County
- Establishments, all industries168
- Employment at those establishments1,081
- Annual payroll$41.3 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents25.3
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Bear Lake County
What is being built in Bear Lake County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024130
- Declared construction value permitted$50.4 m
- Single family units authorised130
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$387,443
- Units authorised per 1,000 households57.1
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Bear Lake County
How much SBA lending happens in Bear Lake County
- 7(a) approvals recorded17
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$6.7 m
- Average 7(a) approval$395,065
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- 10th percentile approval$15,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,284,000
- Largest single approval$1,491,500
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)102
- Jobs per approval6.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active6
- Distinct industries receiving approvals12
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer17.6 percent
- Loans on real estate terms3
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter12
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countAll Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing (3)
- Most active lenderZions Bank, A Division of (7)
- 504 approvals recorded4
- 504 gross approval dollars$1.2 m
- Average 504 approval$288,000
- Median 504 approval$371,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval2.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved6.9
- Most active CDCMountain West Small Business Finance (2)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals81.0 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$7.9 m
The average approval of $395,065 sits well above the median of $150,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 17.6 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Bear Lake County
Do SBA loans in Bear Lake County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded2
- Paid in full2
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure11
- Status: Cancelled4
- Status: Paid in full2
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 2 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Bear Lake County
Which parts of Bear Lake County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending6
- MONTPELIER, approvals8
- BLOOMINGTON, approvals3
- Fish Haven, approvals2
- PARIS, approvals2
- ST CHARLES, approvals1
- Dingle, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| MONTPELIER | 8 | $3,764,600 |
| BLOOMINGTON | 3 | $1,641,500 |
| Fish Haven | 2 | $1,060,000 |
| PARIS | 2 | $165,000 |
| ST CHARLES | 1 | $75,000 |
| Dingle | 1 | $10,000 |
MONTPELIER accounts for 8 approvals against 3 in BLOOMINGTON. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Bear Lake County
How big is Bear Lake County
- Land area975 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Idaho counties32nd of 44
- Width, east to west30.1 mi
- Height, north to south41.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary2
- Residents per square mile of land7
- Establishments per square mile0.17
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Bear Lake County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Bear Lake County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population6,650
- Households2,278
- Average household size2.92
- Median household income$75,260
- Median age40.5
Common questions
Bear Lake County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Bear Lake County, Idaho?
6,650, in 2,278 households, ranking 36th of 44 Idaho counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Bear Lake County growing?
The population has grown 6.42 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 77 births against 53 deaths, with net migration of -29. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Bear Lake County?
$75,260. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $275,000, which is 3.7 times income, and median gross rent is $632 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Bear Lake County?
168 establishments, employing 1,081 people with an annual payroll of $41.3 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Bear Lake County?
Average annual pay is $40,230, or $774 a week, across 1,998 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Bear Lake County?
17 7(a) approvals totalling $6.7 m since FY2020, across 6 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000, plus 4 504 approvals worth $1.2 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Bear Lake County?
130 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $50.4 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Bear Lake County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Bear Lake County come from?
The largest single origin is Bear Lake County Non-migrants, with 2,217 households. Arriving households report an average income of $66,252 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Bear Lake County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Bear Lake County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.